1 1 1 1 2 3

1. LGCA-U.M.R-CNRS-5025-OSUG Grenoble I. Grenoble

2. Lab. Tectonophysique, UMR-CNRS 5568. Université de Montepellier II DSTU, Université Montpellier II. Montpellier
3. Lab. de petrologie magmatique, St. Jerôme Université Aix-Marseille III. Marseille

1. General Geology of Ecuador

The build-up of the Andean range is linked to the subduction of the Pacific
lithosphere beneath the South American plate since the lower Jurassic. The
processes of the Andean orogeny change from south to the north of the range.
While continental crustal shortening predominates in the central Andes,
accretion and underplating of exotic oceanic terranes (oceanic plateaus and
island arcs) ocurred in the north and likely form the crustal root of the northern
Andes today.
Several crustal fragments of oceanic plateaus overlain by island arcs accreted
to the passive margin of Ecuador between ~ 80 and 40 Ma and presently crop
out in the Western Cordillera. Later, from the Late Eocene - Early Oligocene, a
continent-based arc developed first in the Western Cordillera and then, farther
east. Since the Oligocene, dextral transpressive kilometer-scale-faults affected
the accreted oceanic terranes and provoked the exhumation of magmatic and
metamorphic rocks.
This study aims to determine the origin and thermodynamic evolution of these
exhumed metabasites.

South American

2. Petrology and Mineralogy

The Western Cordillera from Ecuador consists of Cretaceous crustal fragments of oceanic plateaus and associated insular arcs accreted to the north-western South American margin
during the Late Cretaceous and Paleocene. Volcanic rocks (basalts), mantle rocks (clinopyroxenite, lherzolite, harzburgite), plutonic rocks (gabbros), and metamorphic rocks
(amphibolites and granulites) are exposed along Miocene to Recent transcurrent faults.

2.2 Mantle rocks and gabbros

The lherzolites and clinopyroxenites
consist of serpentinized olivine + cpx +
opx ± Ca-plagioclase ± spinel. The
harzburgites are composed of
serpentinized olivine + opx. The gabbros
Clinopyroxene consist of Ca-rich plagioclase (An75-90) +
Plagioclase enstatite + diopside. Granulite
Glass Clinopyroxenite
4. Fe+3
Vesicules filled
with quartz and 3.
Basalt chlorite.
1

1.
Cr+3 2.
Al+3 5.
An
By
Gabbro Peridotite
8.
8. 6.
5.
3. 7.
10. Di He
5. 9.
9. 2.

6.
Ab En 4.
Fo 100 80 Fa Amphibolite
10. Fs 7.

3. Geochemistry and Isotopy 4. Conclusions

REE of granulite, basalte et amphibolites

The basalts show geochemical characteristics of

oceanic plateau basalts (flat REE patterns, La/Nb =
0.85) and εNdi values comprised between +7 and +8.

The major and trace element chemistry of the El Chimborazo

amphibolites is similar to that of oceanic plateau Mafic igneous, mantle rocks and metamorphic rocks
basalts (flat REE patterns, La/Nb = 0.86). are exhumed in the Ecuadorian Western Cordillera
thanks to transpressive mega-faults. The basalts and
The granulite shares with oceanic plateaus similar
trace element chemistry (flat REE patterns, La/Nb<
metamorphic rocks display elemental and Nd isotopic
1) and εNdi values (+7.6). compositions similar to those of oceanic plateau
basalts. Thus, they likely represent fragments of the
Early (123 Ma) and Late Cretaceous (86-90 Ma)
oceanic plateaus that accreted to the Ecuadorian
margin between 80 et 40 Ma. The HT metamorphism of
REE of mantle rocks
the amphibolites and granulite is linked to the
The trace element abundances of the ultramafic Oligocene-Neogene activity of the arc built on the
rocks are very low (0.1 to 1 times the chondritic accreted terranes.
and primitive mantle values). Lherzolites and The geochemical features of the ultramafic rocks are
clinopyroxenites are LREE depleted with positive similar to those of depleted mantle. The cumulate
Eu anomalies, while the harzburgite displays an gabbros are probably remnants of an accreted island
U-shaped REE pattern. The geochemical arc. All these rocks likely represent the crustal root of
features of the ultramafic rocks are similar to the Western Cordillera of Ecuador.
those of depleted mantle.

Bibliography
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Mamberti, M., Lapierre, H., Bosch, D., Ethien, R., Jaillard, E., Hernandez, J., Polvé, M.,
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